A top House Democrat participated in a bipartisan exercise at a Butler Farm show in Pennsylvania where former President Trump was nearly assassinated.
Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif., said the officers who serve are “great people” and that the glitches that led to the fatal incident earlier this month demonstrated a severe lack of transparency in cooperation between agencies.
Correa praised Pennsylvania Police Chief Col. Christopher Parris for his forthrightness during Tuesday’s hearing. He added that local officials and law enforcement in the Butler area he met with on Monday were equally admirable.
Correa said members of local agencies approached him during private congressional tours and told him they needed to talk more about what they were seeing on the ground.
Top Republicans call Chittle’s pitched-roof defense ‘last straw’
U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC, July 22, 2024 (Kent West Village/Getty Images)
Rep. Lou Correa speaks at a news conference. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“Some people there suggested to me that everyone there was unwilling to go out and express their opinions,” he said. “But one person said he wasn’t sure who was responsible.
“There was a local supervisor or council member who said we need to talk again. You (Congress) need to know more about what happened and what didn’t happen. They’re not here [in Washington]. We need to know their opinions and ideas. These guys are where the rubber meets the road, so to speak,” he said.
Correa added that the Secret Service is a relatively small agency with about 3,600 agents, while Parris said the PSP has about 6,000 agents.
“Local police and state troopers are really force multipliers and in situations like this, you need to do something to fix the process,” Correa said.
He said that after the House hearings with Paris and his trip to northwestern Pennsylvania, the best thing to do is “go back to the drawing board and really start experimenting with guidance and the Secret Service, what they do and how they approach and work. “Work with local public safety agencies. “
Trump shooting: Timeline of assassination attempt raises questions about how gunman evaded security
Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., talks with Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pa. (Derek Shook, Fox News Digital)
“We haven’t had something like this in 40 years,” he said, referring to John Hinckley Jr.’s shooting death of former President Ronald Reagan in front of the Washington Hilton Hotel.
“I think a lot has changed over the last 40 years; maybe the protocols, the situations, the environment. I think we need to ask some tough questions of the Secret Service, not because they’re not doing a good job, but because they’re expected to score 100 percent,” Correa said.
Asked about Secret Service Director Kimberly Chettle’s resignation earlier Tuesday, Correa said that, in fact, her “resignation would not solve anything.”
“She’s obviously very bad at this. [Monday’s] hearing. I wasn’t there,” he said. “Her resignation will not solve the problem. I will focus on solving the problem.
ox News Digital also asked The Californian about his former colleague in state government, Vice President Kamala Harris, who reportedly won enough delegates to be considered Presumptive Democratic nominee.
Correa, who served in the California Assembly when Kamala Harris was attorney general, said the important takeaways are not his but those of other Californians and Americans.
“The question is not Congressman-elect Lew’s reaction. I think a better gauge of the answer to your question is to look at the enthusiasm,” he said, noting that Harris’ campaign has raised nearly $90 million since President Biden left office. The dollar is out of the race.
Click here to get the Fox News app
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark E. Green, R-Tenn., speaks to the press alongside U.S. representatives at the Butler Farm Show on July 22, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Derek Shook, Fox News Digital)
“This was something completely unexpected,” he said.
“Now, as Congressman Lew or former state senator Lew, I can tell you that I worked with Kamala when she was attorney general. I saw her work on the solution by funding DNA rape test kits. work on and is committed to issues such as sexual offences.
“You have a former attorney general, a former top California police officer, who is now running on her record. So it’s going to be a refreshing change in terms of the dynamic.”
Correa added that he now hears criticism of “age” shifting from Biden to Trump, but also joked, “We older people do have something to contribute.”
Correa was one of three Democrats on his committee who toured the site of the assassination attempt. Two others, veteran Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and Rep. Glenn Ivey of Maryland, attended Tuesday’s hearing.
